Former Washington Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan accused new Browns Quarterback Robert Griffin III of taking part in a conspiracy to change the team’s offense after his rookie year in DC.
Shanahan says Redskins Owner Dan Snyder was also a part of the plan, which “undermined” his coaching decisions. According to Shanahan, Griffin essentially told his coach he would not run certain plays if he did not want to.
Here is an excerpt from the original report, which broke today on ProFootballTalk.
According to TheUndefeated.com, Griffin called a meeting with Shanahan, his son and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur in February of 2013 and told them to let him speak without interruption. He then informed them that there were 19 plays in Washington’s offense that he would no longer run because he believed he needed to be treated like a pocket passer and not a running quarterback.
“We tried to get him to slide,” Shanahan said. “We tried to get him to throw the ball away. If he had told me he was hurt, I would have taken him out of the [playoff] game. To hear him . . . it was really incredible.”
Shanahan insisted that he warned Snyder about the consequences of what was to come, saying “I said to Dan, ‘Do you realize what you’re doing to this kid?'”
Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson may or may not have been aware of this accusation before the team signed Griffin, but what is clear is that the new coach will have to comment on the issue in the near future. Jackson recently told reporters that it was too soon to say one way or the other if Griffin or 3rd-Round Draft Pick Cody Kessler would be competing for the starting job, but perhaps this new development throws a wrinkle into the decision-making process.
We’ll keep you updated if Jackson or Griffin make comments regarding the situation.
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